Researchers Rarely Observed Outreach as Police and Sanitation Teams Forced Unhoused Residents to Move Repeatedly
A damning new report revealed that the City of Los Angeles’ signature homeless services program only serves to push unhoused residents around the city and does not meaningfully connect them with any services, despite what elected officials claim.
Researchers at UCLA’s Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy observed Comprehensive Cleaning and Rapid Engagement (CARE+) program teams in action around LA’s Council District 11, which includes Venice, West LA, and Mar Vista. The $56 million program was launched in 2019 to address “clean up” needs resulting from homeless encampments and to connect people who are homeless with services.
Overall, the researchers found CARE+ teams moved five unhoused people through encampment cleanups for every homeless individual they connected with services. According to the report, an average of 10 city employees attended each cleanup, including no more than 2 outreach workers (the rest were either police or sanitation workers). That’s compared to an average of 4 unhoused people engaged per cleanup.
The report drew insights from 16 observations and 51 follow-up interviews conducted with people experiencing homelessness who were impacted by CARE+ operations. The data led researchers to conclude that the CARE+ program serves “mainly to displace those people rather than to offer them services.”
“In short, CARE+ operations in Venice cause harm to unhoused individuals by constantly displacing them, while providing only minimal services — all at great expense in City personnel and equipment,” the report reads in part.
Encampment Removal Models Are Spreading Nationwide
Cities across the country have developed models similar LA’s CARE+ program to quickly remove encampments and prevent new ones from cropping up. In some instances, city lawmakers require these teams to attempt to connect unhoused people with services. Other teams simply enforce quality of life ordinances against people experiencing homelessness.
These efforts have become increasingly popular since the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson, which allowed local governments to use fines, fees, and other punitive measures to manage homelessness even when no shelter space is available.
According to the National Homelessness Law Center, more than 300 cities across the U.S. passed new laws criminalizing homelessness following the Grants Pass decision.
The growing criminalization of homelessness is happening at a time when homelessness is rapidly increasing nationwide. As of 2024, there were more than 771,000 people experiencing homelessness in America, more than a quarter million of whom lived unsheltered, according to federal data. That total of 771,000 represents an increase of 18% compared to 2023. Experts predict that trend is likely to continue in 2026 as the rising cost of living continues to threaten the housing stability of low-income households.
Researchers Question Whether CARE+ Is an Effective Use of Taxpayer Money
UCLA’s report calls into question the popularity of models like LA’s CARE+ program. While it has been shown to effectively remove encampments, the model also appears to be a big waste of taxpayer money. For instance, researchers found multiple instances in which city personnel spent most of their time talking among themselves while a small number of employees cleaned up the encampment.
It noted that LA plans to spend about $36 million in direct costs for CARE+ next fiscal year, but the city spreads the program’s total cost across other departments.
“It is worth noting that the tens of millions of dollars spent annually on CARE+ do not even include the added personnel costs of police and other City employees (Beaches and Harbors, Parks, etc.) who join Sanitation and LAHSA staff to push unhoused people around,” the 25-page report added.
Survey Responses Contradict Officials’ Claims About Outreach
Some of the report’s findings also contradicted the narrative elected officials spread about the program. Elected officials often say the CARE+ program is a way for the city to connect people with the services they need. However, surveys with unhoused folks impacted by the CARE+ program told a different story altogether.
More than one-third of survey respondents reported that CARE+ program workers forced them to move five or more times in the last month. Forty-six of the 51 respondents said they experienced a “forced move” within the last week. Respondents also said they primarily interacted with police officers, despite city officials claiming that CARE+ connects people with services.
“Given recurring displacement and dispossession and a lack of social services outreach, it’s clear that the work of City authorities overseeing street-based homeless governance (including but not limited to CARE+ operations) is more concerned with enforcement against unhoused persons than helping them access shelter, housing, or other services,” the report added. “While this strategy can eventually push unhoused people out of a neighborhood, it makes those who remain more vulnerable.”
Encampment Cleanups Are Linked to Serious Health and Trauma Risks
There is extensive scientific literature on the dangers of conducting encampment cleanups. Not only do the operations scatter people experiencing homelessness away from service providers, but they also disrupt support networks. They can cause significant personal trauma that has been shown to increase rates of substance abuse and overdoses. These concerns are compounded when people who are homeless lose their possessions and belongings during cleanups.
According to UCLA’s report, about 25% of people impacted by CARE+ operations lost bedding, while 40% lost valuable items such as a computer, smartphone, money, or identity documents. The confiscation of tents also caused many survey respondents to sleep rough, which can compound health issues for people who are homeless.
“In Los Angeles Council District 11 today, CARE+ does not live up to its name. Rather than caring for unhoused persons, the program is being used to punish them, pushing them from one location to another and trashing their belongings, while rarely providing useful services to them,” the report concluded. “The only purpose served is facilitating gentrification and moving unhoused people out of sight of their wealthy Westside neighbors.”
Criminalization Is Expanding As Protections Shrink
With the Supreme Court’s gutting of essential protections for homeless people, our work is more critical than ever. Nationwide, anti-homeless laws are gaining ground in legislative committees, fueled by hidden votes, corporate backing, out-of-state lobbyists, and conservative think tanks like the Cicero Institute. We’re fighting a crucial battle against misinformation and the criminalization of homelessness.
The pandemic underscored the urgent need to overhaul housing policies in the United States, revealing that many homelessness initiatives rely too heavily on law enforcement rather than social services.
Stand with our vulnerable neighbors and urge your representatives to take meaningful action to address homelessness. As the first step toward ending homelessness, we must prioritize compassionate solutions over punitive measures.